Turning signal for automobiles.



J. J. BARRETT. TURNING SIGNAL FOR AUTOMOBILES. APPLTCAITON mzo FEB. 18.1915.

Patented Feb. 29,1916.

" specification,

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JOHN J. BARRETT, OF MASPETH, NEW YORK.

TURNING-SIGNAL F63 AUTOMOBILES.

mm: mm

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb.. 29, 1916.

Application filed February 18, 1815. Serial No. 9,172.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN J. BARRETT, acitizen of the- United States, and residing at Maspeth, Long Island, inthe county of Queens and State of New York, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Turning-Signals for Automobiles, of which thefollowing is a specification, such as will enable those skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same. I

This invention relates to what are known as turning signals for use byautomobile drivers to indicate to the following vehicle his intention ofmaking a turn so that the driver of the following vehicle will be on hisguard, and the object of this invention is to provide an improved deviceorapparatus for this purpose by means of which the driver of anautomobile may not only indicats to the driver of a following vehiclehis intention of making a turn but also the di rection in which the turnis to be made.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, ofwhich the accompanying drawing forms a part, in which the separate partsof my improvement are designated by suitable reference characters ineach of the views, and in which Figure 1 ma sectional view of the frontpart of the body of an automobile provided with my improvement and takenjust in front of the seat of the driver; Fig. 2 a

sectional view of my improved signal device' or apparatus detached; Fig.3 a plan view of said defice or apparatus with partof the constructionremoved and. part shown in section; and, Fig. l a sec nal view of asignal ball which I employ, and two of which are provided.

In the drawing forming part of l have shown at a, a part the frontportion of the body of automobile and at b the steering tube which isstationary and with which the steering heel 6 is connected, saidwheelbeing provided with a rod which passes down through the tube 3),this construction being all of well known form and constituting nopart'o'f my invention. I

In the practice of my invention, as shown in the drawing, 1 secure tothe tube 3) a sleeve 0 having an outwardly directed arm 0 to which issecured a box (Z having a hinged cover 0Z and the front of the box 01 isprovided with two vertical slots (Z which extend into the cover (Z asshown at (Z in B g. 2, and the box (Z is provided at its opposite endswith separate compartments (Z formed by-transverse partitions d and inback portion of the chamber (Z and in the front portion of said chamberare switch members If and 2' in connection with which the shanks f and gof the arms f and g operate.

The arms f and g and their shank portions 7 and g are adapted to swingvertically in the slots (Z in the front of the box (Z, and the outerparts of said arms are tubular in form, in the construction shown, andare provided at their outer ends with hollow balls 7' and g in which areplaced electric-light bulbs f and 9* which are secured to the ends ofthe arms f and g, and the batteries 6- are also provided with wires 6which connected with the supports it and e"- to which the arms f and gare pivoted, and with other wires c and connected with the switchmembers 7& and i are other wires 6 and the wires 6 and e are passed intothe tubular parts of the arms g and .7 and through said parts andconnected with the bulbs 7' and I The balls i and g on the outer ends ofthe arms 7' and 5 may be made of any suitable material, but arepreferably made of non-breakable material and are colored respectivelyred and green, and the ball 7 is provided in its rear side with a redtransparent or translucent panel f while the ball is provided in itsrear side with a green transparent or translucent panel g and in Fig. 4I have shown one of said balls and the details of its construction, orthe met od of securing the transparent panel therein, in which operationthe baclr of the ball is provided with a large circular aperture aroundwhich is secured a metal ring g" which holds the panel in position, andit will be understood that both of the balls 7 and o are made in thesame manner.

The front of the box or case is also provided with a door (Z which ishinged to the bottom portion thereof, and which is adapted to opendownwardly, and this door when in its closed position covers the bottomportion of the slots 61 in the front of said box day-time.

I or members if andz and the-bulbs f and g and limits the downwardmovement of the arms f and g, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2,but when said door is open the said arms may be lowered into thehorizontal position as indicated in Fig. 2, the arm 9 being shown in ahorizontal and operative position in full lines in said figure, and thearm f being shown in a raised or inoperative position, and in saidfigure the arm 9 is also shown in dotted lines in a partially. raised.position which position either of said arms may assume when the driverof a vehicle provided with my improved signaling device or apparatusdesires to signal a following vehicle, or the driver thereof,in theratus desires to signal the driver of a following vehicle that heintends to turn to the right, he'lowers the arm f into the positionshown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and the driver of the following vehicleunderstands the vehicle preceding him will turn to the right; If thedriver of the firstvehicle desires or intends to turn to the left,helowers the arm 9 into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2,and the driver of the follow- .ing vehicle understandsthat the precedingvehicle will turn to the left. In these operations, the shanks of thearms f and 9 do not come into connection with the switch devices are notoperated or energized. If, however,-

the apparatus or device is used at night the door d is turned down andthis, in the above described operation of the arms f and g permits saidarms to drop into the horizontal position in which the shanks f and g ofthe arms f and come into contact with the switch devices or members kand 2' and the bulbs f and g are operated or actuated and a red or greenlight is shown in place of a red or green ball.

From the foregoing description'it will, be seen that with my improvementthe driver of an automobile or other power driven vehicle may quicklyand easily signal the driver of the following vehicle not onlythat heintends to make a turn but also the direction in which the turn is to bemade, and

'while I have shown and described the pre-; ferred form and method ofoperating-the. various parts of my improved signal device orapparatus,'my invention is not limited to the details, thereof hereinshown and de-" readily understood light bulbs which are secured in theends l/Vitnesses scribed, and various modifications thereof may be made,within the scope of the'appended claims, without departing from thespirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages, and while I havealso shown my improved signal device or apparatus connected with thesteering post or tube I), my invention is not limited to this connectionand the signal device or apparatus may be supported in any preferredmanner adjacent to one side of the automobile body and where it may beconveniently operated by the driver of the autor .obile, or othervehicle.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Let- 75 ters Patent-is:

1. A turning signal device for power driven vehicles comprising two-armspivoted in a box or casing supported adjacent to one side of thevehicle, said box or casing being adapted to support two batteries andbeing provided withtwo contact devices, said arms being adapted to swinginto approximately vertical and horizontal positions and into engagementwith said contact devices, said arms being tubular in form and providedat their outer ends with dilferently colored hollow balls havingsimilarly colored transparent or translucent panels in one side thereofand in which are placed of said tubular arms, circuit wires connectedwith the batteries and passing through said tubular arms to said bulbsand back to said contact devices, and from the batteries to the pivotofsaid arms whereby when said arms are in engagementwith said contactdevices said bulbs will be illuminated.

2. A turning signal device for vehicles comprising two arms pivotallysupported adjacentto one side of'the vehicle and adapted to be swung ina transverse vertical plane into different positions, saida'rms beingprovided at their outer ends with differently colored hollowmembershaving similarly colored transparent or translucent panels in 7one side thereof and within which are placed light bulbs, means wherebyin the horizontal position of said arms said bulbs willbe' illuminated,and means for supporting said arms at an angle of approximately thirtyto forty degrees from a horizontal position.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed.my name in presence-of the subscribing witnesses this 15th day ofFebruary, 1915. JOHN J. BARRETT.

C. MULREANY,

THOMPSON.-

